


He is more than a lover

by tilly_pomeroy



Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: AU, Affairs, Alternative Universe - Red Dead Redemption 2, Arguing, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Oral Sex, POV First Person, Passion, Reconciliation, Reconciliation Sex, Roommates, Rough Sex, Smut, Vaginal Sex, charles being passionate but also cute the morning after, charles is a smoking hot mess, flatshare with Arthur and Charlotte, secret lover
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-18 02:42:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28859772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tilly_pomeroy/pseuds/tilly_pomeroy
Summary: The protagonist is living in a flat share with Charlotte, Arthur and Charles.Her and Charles are friends since a while but one evening they feel something more is building up and they give in to their feelings without hesitation.First chapter of a little story about their affair and how it goes on
Relationships: Charles Smith (Red Dead Redemption) & Reader, Charles Smith (Red Dead Redemption)/Reader, Charlotte Balfour/Arthur Morgan
Comments: 3
Kudos: 4





	1. Just one night

**Author's Note:**

> Have a good time reading! Please keep in mind I'm not a native English speaker and excuse possible mistakes. Leave Kudos <3

Arthur is perfect. He will be the ideal completion of us three already living in the cozy loft-like apartment in Denver. I throw a fast look at Charles and he nods. Definitely Arthur, yes. Charlotte seems to be okay with it as well. Well, maybe more than okay. She wants Arthur to live here very bad, so far as I can tell by her unrestrained raving looks she gives him. Awkward. And so cute.   
She got cheated on a few weeks ago and broke up with her longterm boyfriend right after it. A few really hard weeks for the whole three of us. Charles and I had tried to help her where we could. But nothing helps a broken heart until another one comes around and starts to heal it.  
Arthur -obviously- is one of those broken hearts. Although he is talkative and humorous something is in his eyes. Something I’m not able to define exactly. It is sad and deep and maybe also raging. Who knew what he went through. 

We tell Arthur we’d love to welcome him as the last missing part of the flat share and even more as a friend. His eyes brighten. He is glad he finally found a place to live in peace. Charlotte invites him into the kitchen for a coffee.   
Charles and I stay sitting in the living room. I awkwardly stare on the floor while he clears his throat and makes audible he wants to say something.   
I sigh. This thing was pending between us since a few days and I really don’t know how to solve it. How to solve the big mysterious knot in my head. Or in my heart. I don’t know.  
I look at Charles.   
“What?”  
No answer, just a look in my eyes. A very deep one.  
I look away. I barely can endure his presence and even less his looks. It just feels too intense and too overwhelming. Too much for my point in life right now.   
“I’m sorry. Really am. I didn’t want to be that distanced after ... after, you know.”  
I sigh again. I sigh too much and too often lately.   
“Come on, you can’t be that angry about it. You know I am not good with this stuff.”  
“This stuff? Honestly?” How ridiculous. I get off the sofa, nervously kneading my hands. I turn around halfway, deciding not to be ready for this conversation right now and leave the room.   
Before I close the door to my room I hear an angry hit against the pillows followed by an equally angry getting up and walking into the kitchen. Amazing how angry and furious someone could be able to walk.   
Not that Charles had any reason. 

Days later Arthur finally moves all of his stuff in. He gets comfortable with his new room and us roommates. He is an introverted one, likes some company when he feels well but needing space and silence afterwards. I really understand him when he doesn’t leave his room for a whole day, just being for himself.   
I really want to do the same thing. But in difference to him I am not a freelancer and can’t work from home and stay in my joggers all day.   
Arthur is a self-built artist with a really big social media presence and a few hundred clients who pay more than well for his drawings. He of course never shows himself on Instagram or tumblr, he is way too shy for that. Only his amazing art is there, to enjoy and look on. I can dive in his pieces for hours and get lost if I need rest. He is talented indeed. 

Me for my part still study. Cultural studies of the United States in Denver, Colorado where we obviously also live. I have a scholarship which pays the college, a part of the living and a month abroad each year.   
Shortly before Charlotte got single I just came back from an internship in Germany, the year before I’ve been on a Thai island volunteering at a school for orphans.

But right now I’ve got nothing more than a real boring daily structure and a huge pile of work to do.   
It’s a Monday and the library waits for me to spend a day in there, full of frustration and sighing. How is sighing such a big part in my life right now? It needs to stop.   
My life instead gives me no reason to stop with it. I just enter the kitchen, still in my pajamas and wanting nothing more but coffee. And right there, next to the coffee machine stands a girl. Her hair is perfectly messed up, looking cute and girly. She wears an oversized t-shirt and not even panties underneath. She turns to me and smiles.   
“Hi! You must be Charles’ roommate!”   
She is way too cheerful for that time of the day. And why is she even here? Why does she know Charles? My eye is caught by the print on the t-shirt. A band logo. The Avett Brothers. Charles’ favorite band. Wait a second ...   
I start to feel dizzy. All the blood in my head vanishes. I feel sick immediately. This can’t be true. He never would... well, obviously he would.   
I turn around, wanting nothing more but escaping. Instead I run straight into Charles. Into half-naked Charles, only wearing boxers.   
His face turns from sleepy and content straight into shocked.   
“Oh no.”  
I swallow the big lump in my throat, swearing to myself I wouldn’t cry in front of him or this pretty girl behind me.   
“Oh yes.” I walk in my room, calmly and controlled. I close and lock my door quietly.   
And I just stand there, staring out the window from where a pigeon stares at me, wondering about my probably dead looking face.   
I sigh.   
What a shitty day. 

Not that Charles and I have something serious. Not even a little. And I was perfectly okay with it for the few days it lasted. It all started maybe one week ago, went on for maybe ten days. After a sad evening with break-up-Charlotte, talking with her, hugging her while she cried on our shoulders, being friends for the poor girl, we really needed a minute in peace. Charlotte had already gone to bed and Charles and me stood in the kitchen, feeling lost after all the tears. We pondered our own thoughts, not saying a word for a while, enjoying the comforting silence

“I am so sorry for her.” I needed a conversation.   
“Yeah, me too. This guy is the biggest idiot I’ve ever seen.”   
“Definitely. I am so glad he moved out right after he cheated on her.”  
“Honestly, I never really liked him. I only tried to be nice because of Charlotte.”  
“Of course, just like me. He always been such a smarmy cockroach.”  
“You say it.” He paused. “I just hope she’ll get better soon.”  
“I hope so too. I can’t stand seeing my best friend like that. And I hope we’ll find someone new to move in.”  
“Why? Just us three, I kinda like it. The original three friends. No boyfriends, no drama.”  
Charles was no guy for big feelings - at least on the outside.   
“I know, I like the peace as well. But we need someone to pay the fourth rent. It’s that simple.”  
“Really? You’re thinking about the rent right now? As if there’s nothing more important.”  
“It just came to my mind ... “  
“It’s okay. I get that you need some distraction from all the chaos of the last days.”  
I nodded. It was much to work over.   
“Alright, Imma head into bed. Really need it.”  
“Sure. I’ll just clean the cups and be in bed as well.”  
With a tired smile I turned to leave the kitchen. But I got pulled back, Charles grabbed me by my arm.  
“I need a hug.” He looked lost.  
I put my arms around him, laid my head on his chest. I felt his cheek on my head and his arms around my back. It felt save and peaceful. It felt like just a hug from a friend, nothing more.   
That’s why I can’t explain what happened after that.   
He freed hisself a little bit and looked down on me. I looked up and recognized how tall he actually was.   
In that one second I noticed a bunch of things I never cared about before.   
I noticed not only how tall he was but also how big he was, how muscular and trained, how my hands barely reached around his sturdy torso and how small my shoulders seemed compared to his, towering up above me. I noticed how big his hands felt on my back, rough and warm. How small pearls of sweat appeared on his skin. I felt the air warming up between us, I felt his breath on my cheek. I saw his chest raising and lowering heavily. My look wandered up over his veiny neck to his bulky chin until my eyes stopped by his lips. Full and swollen, a little bit opened, shaking almost unnoticeable.   
I didn’t have any part of my body under real control and so my hand wandered up to his face without actually intending it. I stroke over his cheek, my thumb touched his lips, prowling over them. 

His breath trembled indistinctly with the touch of my hand. He took it with his hand, playing softly with my fingers, then, abruptly, with force, putting it behind my back and in the same move pulled me even closer at him. My body pushed heavily against his, trembling. I felt his hard grip around my arm and back. It felt different than any hug I’ve known from him, not soft, not comforting, not friendly. It was hard, wanting, with no space for counter words. It was ... sexy.   
And before I knew what happened, I felt his other hand behind my neck, a tough touch, pulling my head upwards whilst his lowered and with a sudden his lips crushed on mine. They were burning hot just like his breath which got caught by my mouth.   
His lips didn’t ask for approval, they forced mine to open, to let his tongue inside, to let it play with mine. My breath sped up and my body thrusted against his, in need of more of what his lips promised.  
I felt a prominent out-standing bump pushing against my hips, obviously a sign of his indulgence for what we were doing.   
My feeling for time got lost, I just swirled around in a space of heat and breath and desire.   
After a while I felt how he freed his lips from mine to catch breath. I opened my eyes and studied his face for any thought over what we were doing there.  
With an equally intense face he stared at me.   
I didn’t expect a word from him but he opened his mouth and with a growl in his voice he murmured.  
“I need you.”  
Goosebumps shivered over my back. Was this right? Was it okay to go further than now? My thoughts rushed through so many things and feelings. I couldn’t sort them. I felt dazed and not clear. I couldn’t even answer, I just took his hand and pulled him in direction of the sleeping rooms.   
Before I could go into mine he pulled me through his door. He closed it quietly. Then he just stood there and stared me down. It was hard to stand his look. Like a panther on stalk he hovered towards me. Grabbed me by my back, turned me around with ease and pushed me against the door. Pressed his lips on mine, this time waiting until I answered it with my lips. I let him wait for a moment, letting him hover in uncertainty. When his body urged harder at mine I opened my lips.   
I could feel his relief and noticed with contentment that his movements got a little softer and more gingerly.   
Just like an old habit we wandered to the bed automatically, still kissing.  
I made out by touch the seam of his t-shirt, pulled it up and over his head.   
It wasn’t like I’ve never seen him shirtless, he often would walk around like that in summer. But in this moment it was so breathtaking how obviously big and physically powerful he was. How prepossessing his body appeared to me. 

My legs bumped into the edge of the bed without me expecting it so I struggled and felt backwards.  
Charles didn’t care, it actually seemed to please him, seeing me helplessly laying in front of him.   
He bent over me, his fingers searching for the buttons of my sweat pants. Good for him the pants hadn’t buttons and could be pulled down just like that. Now the only thing I was wearing was a tight top without a bra under it and my briefs, both black and, lucky me, fitting pretty well and sexy together.   
The looks Charles let swift over me laying there made me writhe under lust. I raised up into a sitting position, having his lap directly in front of me.  
The only thing I wanted now was to free this big bulge. I slowly opened his bottoms and even slower I pulled them down. My eyes didn’t let his go the whole time.  
He kicked away the jeans. The only barrier left were his boxers. The white fabric emerged clearly from his dark thighs, stretched over the muscles and his exciting big masculinity.   
My breath leaped up and down without rhythm, my heart raced in agitation.   
I grabbed the waistband and pulled it down. His manhood stood right before my lips, big, swollen, veiny, the tip almost purple.   
My lips closed around him like nothing. I sucked him very slightly before I took more into my mouth, hardening and speeding up my movements. He caught breath with a tremble, keeping him from falling over was his hand on my shoulder, heavily weighing. After a little moment of pause I loosened my lips from his thick phallus, massaging his shaft with my hand while I comforted his skin with the other. He took my hands and put them away from him.   
I felt how he made a step back and looked at me intensely, still holding my hand wrists in a rough grab, then letting them go with another intention.  
“Get rid of that top.”  
The top was on the floor after an almost unbearable slow moment I took to pull it over my body. A silent groan escaped his mouth the second I sat on his bed with nothing on but the small panties made of transparent lace.   
He came over to me, placed his body over mine without touching it.  
His lips reached out to mine, touching them like a feather. Not that I thought he would be the flower sex type all of a sudden. He just wanted me to wait, to shiver in anticipation, to feel the tense until it was barely to endure.   
And I shivered, I yearned for the body above me to touch me, to feel it and the heat whirring around it.   
Finally he lowered himself. His bare chest, heavy and warm, sank on my breast, his hips leant hard against mine, his manly dick between my legs. I just wanted it inside of me. I just wanted the small barrier of fabric to vanish and him to slip between my wetness.   
Just like he read my thoughts he smiled, maybe a little vile.  
“Not yet. I want to please you a bit.”   
He went down on me like I didn’t know someone could go down on me. With one little move he pulled away the fabric of my underwear. His mouth came closer to my lips, letting me feel his hot breath. After a second of obvious yearning I finally felt his soft lips on my wet vulva.   
His tongue comforted my clit, his fingers circled around my middle for a while until they slid inside me with one fast yet subtle move.   
A moan came out of my mouth. His fingers were so thick that I felt filled out by only the two of them which played inside of me.   
“God, you are so tight.”   
I moaned.   
A third finger squeezed itself in and his little finger started to rub my perineum while his thumb still stroke over my clit. All of my blood came together down there. I felt how my own wetness ran down my skin. I didn’t even know I could be that wet. My heartbeat sped up and my moans got louder as he intensified the movement of his fingers inside of me. I couldn’t believe I was on the way to my climax just because of his fingers.   
He noticed how my erection increased and let go of me.  
“I’d love to go on like that but ... I really want to feel you.”  
And how bad I wanted to feel his manhood inside of me.   
“I want you.”  
He seemed to like those words.  
“Say it again.”  
“I want you.”  
Even though it was clear he was on the edge of lust he asked again.  
“Say it again. Beg me.”  
“I want you. Please. I need you. I just ...”  
That was enough for him. Without awaiting anything else he positioned himself over me, letting his dick hover over my middle as I could feel the tense skin of his tip.   
“Please...” I wanted to subdue myself, I wanted him to dominate over me, to tell me what he wanted me to say or to do, I wanted to beg for him to finally fill me.   
But he hesitated for a moment.   
“I really don’t want to hurt you. You are so tight and ... “  
I knew he would be careful.  
“Just do it.” My whisper was almost not audible any more.   
He looked in my eyes. Moved his hips forward, against me. And inside me. I felt how I got stretched by his masculinity moving in myself. He was unbelievably big. His dick wasn’t even half way in and it already felt like I could come right away.   
He recognized how I tested out what my body was able to take.  
“I can stop.”  
Instead of answering I slowly pushed my hips up and forced him deeper inside me.   
He moaned in excitation.   
“More” was the only thing I could whisper under my heavy breath.   
Even though I’ve noticed a little hurt because of the unusual stretch I wanted to feel all of him.   
He must’ve seen my slightly painful expression.   
“Close your eyes. And relax. Just let go.”  
The pain got more intense as he moved deeper inside me.   
“It’s not that easy.”  
He slid out, straightened himself in a sitting position and put his hands on my hips. Pulled them upwards and held them there with ease.  
“Let go and trust me. I’ll hold you.”  
I closed my eyes, breathed out and let me sink in his hands.   
Charles waited a few seconds, made sure I really would relax.  
Then he lowered my hips on the bed, lifted my legs a little and went forward again. In one regularly move he dove into me, deeper and deeper until I thought he couldn’t go deeper. But he could. First it felt a little painful when he was completely in. I breathed deep and intense.   
“Are you ok?”  
I nodded. To made me get used to his size he slightly moved in and out, small movements which let the pain fade.   
It made place for an unbelievable feeling of erection and lust I’ve haven’t known before.   
“Take me.”  
It didn’t need more for him. He started to take me, all of me, rushing his flesh into and against mine, uncontrolled and wild. My ears were shut, I wasn’t able to hear anything but a loud sough mixed with my blurred view. The only thing I could see if I opened my eyes was Charles’ silhouette in the twilight above me, his face full of arousal and the will to stand his desire for a little longer.   
His muscles were tense and strained under the power of our bodies working themselves off at each other.   
After some almost not resistible minutes I felt how the muscles under my hands started to strain more and more.  
“I can’t hold it.”  
I turned to the nightstand, searching for a condom. My fingers were too weak to actually grab one.  
So he bent over, took one, pulled himself out of me fast. I moaned over the sudden move.  
He pulled the condom over his thumping swollen cock.  
And without a second of pause he rushed in me, thrusting his hips against mine, only a few times. He let a finger stroke over my clit which drove me completely crazy. I felt the climax building up once more and this time I knew I would let myself fall for it.  
I lifted my hips, wanting to take more of him. This tiny move was enough for him to lose it as well.  
His facial expressions expressed all the arousal he felt, his body started to quiver and tremble and I could feel him pulsating against my wetness, pouring out his hot sticky mess into the condom. In the same moment my whole body twitched and wrenched under him, I whimpered and moaned. I felt everything and nothing at the same moment, shaking helplessly. With the last bit of strength I felt after the climax slowly fading and then crushed on the bed. He sank down on me, absolutely powerless and exhausted, too.  
He weighed heavy on my my body, then pulled his thick cock out, this time slowly and with care.   
My breath shivered. My heart bumped in irregular beats, trying to get blood somewhere else in my body.   
I wasn’t able to feel my legs or my arms, my fingers and toes were feeling dull, the blood in my ears throbbed. I couldn’t move a single part of my body.  
I kind of noticed how he got rid of the condom, cleaned himself up and sunk next to me on the bed.   
He wrapped one arm around me, pulling my powerless body to him so I could look in his eyes.  
My eyes felt wet and I thought “Am I crying?”. And indeed, some tears ran over my face.  
“What’s wrong? Did I hurt you?”  
His voice was honestly worried. His eyes inspected every single inch of my face.  
“No. Of course not. It’s just so ... much.”  
I wasn’t able to explain it. Feelings just overwhelmed me. Feelings which weren’t supposed to be felt.   
Charles didn’t say anything. He placed subtle kisses on my lips, my neck, my shoulder. Pulled me closer to his bare skin which radiated heat.   
I buried my face at his chest, calming down slowly. He moved a little, reaching for a blanket.  
It touched my shoulder, sank on our bodies, covered them and weighed heavily and soothing. Sleep overwhelmed me. 

Something bright tickled me. I opened one eye just to feel immediately blinded. Sun rayed right into the room and my face. I sighed contented. It was lovely to wake up to the first sun rays of the day. To be perfectly bedded in soft pillows, a blanket covering me up to my nose, feeling ridiculously comfortable. Hm, that was amazing. Since when was my bed so comfy. With my eyes still closed I turned around and turned into something big and heavy, pushing down this side of the bed. Why was a tree trunk in my bed? My eyes flickered to inspect the tree in my bed.   
Oh. Oh my god.  
That wasn’t my bed. And that wasn’t a tree trunk either. It was a huge back of a huge man, his skin perfectly enlightened by the rising sun. Charles.  
Torrential all the memories of the night came back. Oh my dear Lord. I shook thinking of all the touches and the skin and the heat. And I felt panic rising as I thought of the consequences. What have we done. All the years of innocent friendship, washed away by one passionate night. I covered my face with my arm, hid from the reality which awaited right after I would leave this safe space of pillows. A few minutes went over. My thoughts still raced, my heart pumping painful against my chest. I was an anxious bundle of nerves.   
Charles moved. I could hear a tired hum. A heavy arm got placed over me, squeezing me a little. I stared in the air, not abled to move under his arm.   
“Hey”  
Oh no. He was awake. His voice sounded tired, deep, with a growl. But not a dangerous one, more comforting and cozy.  
I really didn’t know what to say.  
“Hey... I guess?” My voice was thin, shy, uncertain.   
“Don’t worry. Everything is okay.”  
If he wasn’t wrong about that.   
“Wanna coffee?”  
“Um, yeah. Why not. I’ll take a shower so long.”  
He smiled with an arching eye.   
“Maybe I’ll join you.”  
“Oh... I think, you know, I ... “  
“You need some space, I know. I was joking.”  
He got up, pulled some boxers over his obviously perfect trained butt and left the room.  
Holy ...   
We should see what this night would lead to next.


	2. Not the best Monday of them all

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The protagonist has a really bad day after the run-in with Charles and the girl in the morning. But she'll find out what all of that was about. Until then Charlotte and Arthur are good friends for her

The affair between Charles and me went on like that for probably ten days. It was a time of such passion and overwhelming arousal I barely could get a grasp of it.   
We tried to hide it from Charlotte as good as we could. We didn’t want her to feel left outside.  
In each available moment Charles threw dirty looks at me, eyeing me intensely.   
Whenever he had the chance he’d touch my arm or my back, stroking his fingers over it. It left me with goosebumps every single time. We barely slept in those nights, only cared about ourselves and our sexual gratification. During the days we barley talked, if then over insignificant stuff. He just wasn’t a man for great talks. 

Against my will I started to feel drawn towards him in a not sexual way.   
I noticed how my heart sped up when I looked in his eyes. How I got aware of his movements when he did something simple like writing or reading. I noticed each, even the smallest change in his mimics or gestures, any subtle raise of an eyebrow or smirk on his face.  
I started to feel something. And I didn’t like it.  
He must’ve recognized it somehow and so it came to the talk between us after we just welcomed Arthur as our new roommate.   
It was different to his normal behavior that he actually wanted to talk about something. And just when he moved himself to talk to me I wasn’t ready for all of it to be spoke out.

We ignored each other for a while. Just like we silently had agreed to pause our thing. In the meantime Arthur had moved in on a Saturday. The weekend passed without Charles and me speaking, avoiding to even meet by accident. What I really didn’t expect was what happened this morning, the one bad Monday morning when I ran in that girl wearing his shirt and running into him wearing no shirt at all.   
I would’ve never thought he would ditch me that easily after one tiny fracture in our flow of sex at night and unbearable tension at day and a few days of weird silence.   
The worst part was I couldn’t even talk to Charlotte about it. She really shouldn’t know what has happened behind her back while she went through a bad breakup story. And so I was alone with my shitty feelings and the ache in my stomach climbing up to my stupid heart. I couldn’t even imagine how Charles might feel or if he found it completely awful that I clearly felt something for him. And now the chance to talk about it was gone.

After a while glancing out the window I finally managed to get myself to do something. I actually went to the library and stared at my notebook for a while. I decided to leave an hour later. It was impossible to focus right now.   
So I went back home, did some laundry, cleaned my small personal bathroom and sorted my clothes. Three piles: keep, not sure, donate. It was almost evening and I sat on a barstool in the kitchen. Charles had not been home the whole day, it was like he vanished after the incident. Charlotte was in the kitchen with me and cut onions. She didn’t cry though, she actually cut onions for dinner. I just crouched anxiously on the stool, sipped wine and was oversensitive over noises in the hall because I expected Charles home any moment. A door banging, the elevator dinging, steps on the linoleum made my heart leap.   
Charlotte cleared her throat. I looked up.   
„What?“  
She eyed me. „What in the world is up with you?“  
„Errm. Nothing.“ I laughed nervously. She couldn’t find out. Ever.  
But Charlotte wasn’t stupid. Not at all. She was able to read people like books. I started to realize I wasn’t able to hide the whole situation from her much longer.  
Arthur came out of his room. „Wow, it smells amazing in here!“   
He looked at us and noticed the tense atmosphere between me and her.  
„It smells amazing but it feels absolutely awful. What happened? Did someone die?“  
Yes, my will to live died, this morning.   
I shook my head. „Everything is great. Completely fine.“  
Charlotte laughed in a sarcastic way. „Yes, obviously.“   
She furiously started to add meat and pour sauce over the onions.   
I sighed. This was just getting worse.   
„Okay, look. Something happened a little over two weeks ago, like ten days before Arthur’s interview for the room. The evening we watched Titanic and cried a lot until two in the morning.“  
Charlotte nodded. Arthur raised one eyebrow.  
„Well, you, Charlotte, had already gone to bed and Charles and I were in the kitchen and felt really down. Like really really at the bottom.“   
I didn’t know how to describe the feelings that were coming over me at that moment in the kitchen.  
„Anyway, we hugged. It was nothing but friendly comfort. But we kind of felt something between us. It was weird, not like other times we hugged as friends.“  
The part coming up next was the most awkward to tell, especially with Arthur in the room. But he should know as well what was going on.  
„And we kissed.“  
Charlotte’s mouth opened in astonishment, Arthur raised both is eyebrows as high they almost seemed to touch his hairline.   
„And then… we went to his room and had, uh this is harder to admit than I thought.   
We had sex. Like the most passionate and intense sex I’ve ever had. I stayed in his room for the night and in the morning he was super sweet and brought me coffee.   
The following days we hooked up basically every night. And I started to feel something. For him. More than arousal. I guess he kind of noticed it and he wanted to talk when you-“ I pointed at Arthur and Charlotte „-had gone to the kitchen after Arthur’s interview. But for some reason I didn’t feel ready to talk it out and admit my feelings. He got angry and we didn’t talk again for the last days.   
And then, well, I met his ONS this morning. He dropped me like a hot potato the moment things started to get harder.“  
I felt released the moment I finished. It felt good to actually speak about what was going on.   
Charlotte looked at me with a mix of empathy and sadness. „Men are the worst.“  
Arthur looked up and had an asking expression on his face. „Excuse me?“  
She shook her head. „Sorry. Most men are the worst. Exceptions exist.“ She smiled at Arthur.  
Okay, something was definitely going on between them.   
„Alright, guys, whatever. I don’t know what to do. You need to help me. What am I supposed to do with Charles? I can’t even look him in the eyes.“  
In that moment, speaking of the devil, the door opened and Charles entered the hallway. I leaped off my stool and then just stood there like a deer in the light of a car. „Oh no.“  
Charles called from the hall. „Is anyone home? I brought beer and chips, let’s have a nice roomie evening!“   
Arthur left the kitchen to help him with the groceries.   
My head hung down. A whole evening with Charles in the current situation. That’d be torture.  
Charlotte hugged me. „Look, we don’t have to spend the evening with the boys. Let’s just bail and have a girls night.“  
„No, I can’t escape confrontation all the time. There has to be a moment I don’t weasel away just because of some stupid romantic issue. And this exact moment is right now. I’m going to talk to Charles and I will figure out how to live with this mess.“   
Fully determined to do what I just promised I left Charlotte to her food and went in the living room where Charles and Arthur set up everything for the evening.  
„Charles?“ He looked up and his eyes widened.   
„Hey…how are you?“  
„After today’s morning pretty self-explanatory, right?“ Oh, how I hated my sarcasm as a self-defense mechanism.   
Even though I almost thought to see some regret in his face.  
„Can we talk? I think we’ve got some things to figure out.“  
For some reason he looked insecure about it. Arthur padded him on the shoulder and gave him an intense „dude, get it together and don’t be a douchebag“ look. Charles put down the bowl of chips, took my hand and led me to the big common bathroom.  
I was confused. „Why can’t we just go in one of our rooms?“  
„We had sex in both those rooms. The bath is the most neutral room.“  
„You know, we had sex in the shower as well?“  
„Yes, but you get my point.“  
I nodded. Sure, if he felt the safest in here, why not.  
We nervously looked around, meticulously paying attention to not look in each other eyes.   
Suddenly Charles laughed out. „God, why is this so hard?“  
I smiled. „Yeah, why? I mean, it’s not like we’re strangers.“  
The tension in the air was gone and we finally could look at each other.  
Charles bit his lip. „I missed you.“ My heart flattered.  
Oh dear Lord, what is this man doing to me?   
But I still was more than angry because of the bottomless girl. He needed to explain that.  
„Well, you didn’t miss me that much. You still managed to find someone else.“ My voice sounded upset and hurt and for once I wasn’t embarrassed. He should hear how I felt.  
„I’m so sorry about that. We didn’t sleep together, you’ll have to know that. We met in a bar, we kissed -what I deeply regret- and she slept here because she basically invited herself. I don’t know why she put on my shirt and not even her panties. I was so upset about it and the moment you had left the kitchen I told her she had to go. And after I got dressed I wanted to talk to you but you were already gone.“ Actual tears shimmered in his eyes.   
„I know how hurt you must be. And it hurt me just the same. I don’t know why I acted like a three-year-old throwing a tantrum that evening. I’m so embarrassed. And then I went drinking yesterday evening and got wasted and I couldn’t sop thinking about you. To distract myself I talked to that girl and from then on everything went downwards.“   
I was so glad to hear he didn’t actually want to forget me.   
„It’s okay. Thank you for being honest to me. I just hope we can act normal again. The awkwardness is killing me. I felt like a hormone controlled teenager.“   
„Of course. I just want everything to be like before.“  
He didn’t specify which „before“ he meant. Before we had hooked up? Before the argument?   
As if he had read my mind he emphasized what he meant. „Before the weird vibes. Of course I want us to be friends. But… I really miss you waking up next to me. I miss how you feel, your smell, your hands, even your breath.“ His face turned dark red. „I hope you don’t think I’m making myself ridiculous.“  
Instead of answering I pulled him close to and kissed him as intense as I could. I wanted to make him feel safe and taken seriously with me. And he seemed to feel better. Charles sighed in relief, put his arms around me and kissed me back full of passion and affection. For a good while we just took in each other’s air, felt our lips and let ourselves fall in the comfort of a resolved argument.  
Until someone knocked. We startled and turned around. Charlotte and Arthur leant in the door, smirking all over their faces. Charlotte giggled like a little girl. „You guys are unbelievable.“  
Arthur laughed. „Come on, lovebirds, dinner is ready.“  
I wanted to raise my finger to make clear we weren’t in love but the both of them had already left.   
I looked at Charles. „I hope he doesn’t think we would be actually dating?“  
Charles shrugged. „I mean…the thought isn’t completely alienating, isn't it?“  
He obviously was serious.   
„Okay, we will talk about this. But for now, let’s eat dinner before those two fools haven't left a crumb.“   
We sat down and started to eat. I caught myself imagining how it would be to date Charles. I didn’t hate the thought, in the opposite to be honest. But besides that I felt another feeling crawling up my spine. It wasn’t warm, fuzzy or comforting. It was fear. Fear of screwing it up like we almost did once before. I didn’t want to lose Charles as a friend to stupid feelings.   
Something touched my hand. Charles. As if he read my mind once again he gave me a calming look.  
„Everything is going to be alright“, he whispered.   
Oh, how much I hoped so.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter, even though it was without smut. Promise, that will change in the next chapter. Charles and the protagonist have a reconciling night together. And we will find out, what is going on between Arthur and Charlotte.   
> Leave Kudos and comments! <3

**Author's Note:**

> Hope, you had fun with my protagonist and Charles having a hot night together. Be excited for the next chapter to find out about the mysterious girl in Charles' shirt!


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